I don't know if I would quite call this the home stretch yet, but it's starting to feel like it. Not sure exactly how much the orthodontist wants to do before the first week of April, but I've basically kept my wires in for a while now and feel like he's just torquing a few teeth there and there. I found out on Thurs that I am going to have that nasty TPA put back in. That appointment is in 2 weeks. And I think they mentioned I'll have a similar appliance on the bottom, but this one is a lingual arch and will go from my molars and curve around the inside of my bottom teeth. Thank god, because I can't picture having a bar go under my tongue between my two molars like the top one sits between the two molars. These molars have been pretty stubborn with the way they are tipped, but hopefully this is the last push they need to get in line with everything else. I really hope that the TPA gets taken off for surgery. Like, REALLY hope. So, other than getting the TPA in a few weeks, I am not sure what I have to do with the ortho before surgery other than getting my surgical hooks installed. I'm sure he's got something else up his sleeve, so we'll see!I had new molds taken about 10 days ago. Those go with me to the pre op appointment with the surgeon on March 18th. I've also got an appointment to go over to this place in palo alto and have all my new xrays and scans done to take to that appointment too. Feels kind of odd to only be seeing this lady twice and trust her to do this super invasive and possibly life altering (in good ways and in bad if it goes screwy) on my face. But, I think only seeing a surgeon twice before the op is pretty standard protocol with this stuff. Still... just feels weird.Feels weird, but I think I'm already pretty stocked and prepped for this rodeo! I've got all the supplements, creams, and herbs I want; new humidifier, breathe right strips, squeeze food pouches, liquid vitamin, liquid b-12, a bunch of boost and ensure shakes, powdered fiber to mix in with my liquids (heard you can't go without that while you're on heavy duty pain killers!), powdered pro biotic drink, my good blendtech ready to blend, a recliner chair lined up from a friend (to sleep upright in), and I'm still going hard prepping blended soups and goodies to stock the new chest freezer with. I'm also making freezer meals that my husband can take out himself to cook, as well as my mom who will be with me for a month to help me during recovery. I just picked all the kale and spinach from my garden and froze that for green smoothies. So far in the freezer I have about 15 1.5 cup servings of broccoli cheddar soup, broccoli asparagus soup, and butternut squash is up next on the list. I have an idea for a wild mushroom artichoke pureed soup to try, but I think I'll stop with the soups after that and maybe try a few heftier blended things like pureed lasagna or something fun. I think Indian dishes will be satisfying with the spices/warmth from them-- and not to mention a lot of the vegetarian dishes will be VERY easy to puree. In other news-- I've been sick this week. Brochitus that finally drove me to the doc today to get antibiotics 7 days into it. I haven't been sick much the last few years (knock on wood) and hope this is my one and done for this season. I am super hoping that this doesn't happen after surgery! And finally, there is snow up in Tahoe!!!! Yaaaaaayyyyyy!!!! So, hopefully I can snowboard my buns off the next 6 weeks and get my fill of fun in before all of this hooplah starts!